Australian police, with the help of Hong Kong police, smashed a US$110 million heroin and 'ice' syndicate in Australia on December 21. A Hong Kong man, 34, the alleged mastermind of the syndicate was arrested by Hong Kong Police for extradition to Australia on drug trafficking charges.
A survey of 18 countries by AC Nielsen found that Hong Kong people were the most avid Internet 'surfers' spending an average of 10 hours and 13 minutes a month in cyberspace. American web surfers came in second, with 10 hours 4 minutes, with Canadians third with 8 hours 58 minutes.
The International Monetary Fund established a sub-office in Hong Kong in January 2001 to enhance surveillance of financial and economic developments in the region. The World Bank's International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Finance Corporation also established a joint office in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong welcomed a record 13.06 million visitors in 2000, an increase of 15.3% over 1999.
The Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan announced on January 12 that she would retire from the civil service for personal reasons at the end of April 2001. Mrs Chan had been re-employed on contract terms until June 2002 after reaching the usual retirement age of 60 in January 2000.
Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, the Financial Secretary, was on February 15 subsequently named as the new Chief Secretary for Administration, while Executive Councillor and investment banker Antony Leung Kam-chung was named as the new Financial Secretary. Both took up their new posts on May 1.
The permanent representative of the HKSAR of China to the WTO, Stuart Harbinson, was on February 9 elected as chairman of the WTO's General Council for 2001. Although elected in his personal capacity, the appointment reflected positively on Hong Kong's standing within the WTO.
Record numbers of passengers passed through Hong Kong International Airport during the busy Chinese New Year period. Some 121 000 passengers passed through the airport on January 28 to equal the passenger record set on the busiest day of 2000.
Hong Kong retained its ranking as the world's busiest container port in 2000 with a throughput of 18.1 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), an increase of 11.7% over 1999. Singapore was ranked second with a throughput of about 17.05 million TEUs.
Hong Kong's civil service was voted the best in Asia according to a survey conducted in 13 Asia-Pacific economies by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy.
Financial Secretary Donald Tsang delivered his sixth and last Budget on March 7, revealing that Hong Kong's GDP grew by 10.5% in 2000.
A joint operation by Hong Kong Police and Australian and UK authorities on March 12 led to the arrest of 22 people in Hong Kong and eight in Australia and Britain for allegedly using Hong Kong banks to launder HK$450 million (US$57.7 million) in proceeds related to illegal people smuggling activities.
Hong Kong's film industry celebrated international success by claiming four Oscars for the martial arts classic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon at the 73rd Annual Academy Awards on March 26. Hong Kong's Peter Pau Tak-hei won the Oscar for best cinematography, while Tim Yip Kam-tim won the Oscar for best art direction. Crouching Tiger also took Oscars for best foreign film and best musical score.
Figures released on March 29 showed that US$64.4 billion in foreign direct investment flowed through Hong Kong in 2000. This was on the back of a US$24.6 billion inflow in 1999 when Hong Kong was the second-largest recipient of FDI in Asia after the Mainland of China.
The European Union announced that from April 10, Hong Kong SAR Passport holders would be given visa-free access for visits of up to three months. The arrangement also included access to two non-EU countries, Iceland and Norway.
Hong Kong International Airport handled a record number of 645 flight movements on Good Friday (April 13).
A week later, the airport was voted the best in the world ahead of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, in a survey by British air travel industry research company Skytrax Research.
Hong Kong hosted the prestigious FORTUNE Global Forum in May. It was attended by President Jiang Zemin, the Thai Prime Minster Thaksin Shinawatra, former US President Bill Clinton and hundreds of the world's top business executives.
Hong Kong launched its new international brand - a powerful and energetic dragon - at the Forum on May 10. The new brand, along with the brandline 'Asia's world city' will be used to promote Hong Kong internationally in a more consistent and focused manner.
Hong Kong hosted the World Newspaper Congress in early June, bringing together hundreds of newspaper and media executives from around the globe for a three-day congress and products expo.
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